Brain bloom

Suppressing his regret at not daring to quote a higher price, Mori scoffed: "Question me?"

He broke out in a cold sweat and lowered his gaze again.

Mori continued, "As for the rest, we can discuss that later. Let's find a place to gather the representatives of the country and your religions together. I want to ask you some questions... Also, how is that matter going?"

The Pope's mind was still blank with shock, and he was too numb to recall what "that thing" was.

Fortunately, B, who was in charge of the matter, stepped forward and gave a precise answer: "This matter is of utmost importance. We have already assembled a large escort team, but... it will still take two days to transport the relics of the first Pope from various places. I hope you can understand."

"Two days..." After muttering to himself, Mori glanced at the dandelions admiring the flowers and seemed to have an idea.

"We'll prepare the gold coins you need right away, or you can collect them yourself?"

After careful consideration, Mori decided it was better to let them take it. Once the treasure vault was opened and she saw the gold coins, materials, and equipment that once belonged to her, which would be difficult to take, it would be a huge torment and would probably cause her sleepless nights.

"You all go ahead and prepare. Don't be so reserved until the national representatives you've gathered arrive. Anyway, find me a nice place to rest my butt."

Sen's casual remark seemed to stir up waves of unease, leaving these believers utterly shocked.

"butt?"

"The true god said...buttocks?"

"Does God use such words?"

"Wait a minute—God has a butt too?"

"This must be a test. The true God is probing our piety with foul language, deliberately distorting and smearing his image, but in reality, he is questioning our hearts."

The archbishop's statement seemed to have gained widespread acceptance, and the commotion subsided due to the exaggerated level of faith.

Thus, Mori and Dandelion, escorted closely by a hundred knights, arrived at the beautiful place she had requested.

There was a stream, blooming flowers and osmanthus trees, and small animals roaming freely. There were also tables and chairs made entirely of gold, teacups and plates, and the finest pastries that had been hastily prepared. But there were no maids; instead, elderly religious figures served them, seemingly intending to personally serve them tea and water.

Unfortunately, it took Mori several attempts to drive these guys away and make them understand that it wasn't that the true god had abandoned them, but simply that they were too much trouble. She only kept B, whom she was most familiar with.

As they left, their old faces, brimming with tears, were filled with desolation, but they would occasionally mention things like, "Serving the true God should be the responsibility of those who serve Him." It seemed they intended to pass this message on to those who served Him.

Thinking of this, Mori raised his head and looked up at the high place.

The towering glazed pagoda exudes a flawless yet ancient aura.

"Do the so-called servants of the gods reside in that place?"

"You want to see her?"

"I heard from the Ancient Demon King that I should meet her..." It was something the Ancient Demon King casually mentioned when he was about to leave the Demon Realm. "But it's probably not convenient now, as we mainly need to discuss the Kingdom of Flowers... I hope you are prepared."

This sensitive topic made B's face stiffen: "As expected, you brought the princess of the Four Seasons here just for this..."

"This is unavoidable; we should all know it. Do you see the plant on my head? I am also a being of the four seasons."

"The War of the Flowers is a very complicated matter..."

"I have plenty of time. Once everyone is here, we can talk slowly."

As she spoke, Mori couldn't help but glance at the dandelion. In the most beautiful garden of the sacred land, she held golden tableware, yet without a hint of vulgarity, engaging in a duel with her teeth over pastries, her eating style elegant—she was a noble and beautiful princess of the four seasons…

That's just how it appears.

"B, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Based on my understanding of the Four Seasons, the War of the Flowers probably isn't that simple."

"Hmm..." She fell silent.

A moment later, a cat carrying a letter came running from a distance and came to B's side.

She took the cat's letter, read it, and looked frightened, as if the matter was serious. Dandelion took the opportunity to teach Sen Shi some common sense about the world: this place was too large, but due to its entrance, it was not suitable to station too many soldiers and low-level believers, so some cats were trained to deliver messages.

These little creatures move with lightning speed, and their claws move so quietly that they won't disturb the religious rituals of the believers. Therefore, after being tamed by magic, they are perfectly suited for delivering messages.

However, this time the news seems a bit off?

“By God above, now all the people of the capital, regardless of age or gender, have gathered at the city gates,” B said respectfully, reporting the news he had just received to Sen Shi.

"...Is someone about to cause trouble?"

"No, they all came to see you. They are orderly and praying quietly below the city walls, but if this continues, the normal functioning of the capital will be disrupted... Countless institutions, shops, and a great deal of external affairs need to be handled..."

So she was troubled. If the capital of the world's largest country came to a standstill, the losses would be immeasurable... Therefore, she wanted to ask the true God to appear and say something to the believers.

After telling her the truth, she added in a low voice, "A total of 3.4 million people are praying for you. If I were standing below the city walls, I would hope that you would respond in time..."

Upon hearing this number, Mori's gaze sharpened.

It wasn't just for the normal functioning of the city, nor just to respond to the prayers with divine power. She also thought of something else that she might take this opportunity to confirm. Within a minute, she had thought everything through and nodded in agreement.

but--

"The true God is never cheap."

"What do you mean?" B didn't quite understand.

“I will not appear because of the hopes of mortals. If they want to wait for me, then they can wait a little longer, until I have the thought to do so. But I can give you a promise: I will end this commotion before tonight.”

For B, those words carried enough weight. She turned and began writing furiously, hoping her cat would convey the good news.

Dandelion then remarked with a touch of whimsy, using a term she hadn't used in a long time: "Our ancestor really did have such a carefree side. Hmm, that's the true god."

Sen Shi didn't shake her head. Only she knew that this meant facing millions of people in the capital. She needed to hurry up and sew a powerful outfit to have the confidence to show her face... And what would she say? How would she say it? She needed to think about it carefully.

Volume 1 #377 Mori Toki's Absolute Ironclad Rules

All the shops were closed.

Even shops that are legally permitted to sell religious items have unusually closed down.

It's important to understand that from the founding of the nation until now, these shops, scattered throughout every district, have never ceased spreading their teachings. In the past, ascetics, guided by the flags and sacred letters, could even find lodging here for the night. But today, this widely acclaimed tradition has been suspended.

Crowds of citizens, men and women, from infants just learning to cry to elderly people too frail to walk, marched in strict order from all directions toward the large square beneath the tower. No one spoke; only the sound of their converging footsteps washed over the sanctuary.

Among them were not only residents of the holy site, but also merchants and travelers from all over the world. However, in order to get closer to the coffin bearers, they all gave up everything they were supposed to do.

As the crowd grew larger, the oppressive and suffocating feeling should have tormented them, but an unprecedented sense of fanaticism swept everything away.

As night fell, even the magicians in the crowd dared not light any lamps, for that would defy the divine light. But the people were not afraid, for they all carried various religious implements, and with them in hand, the darkness held no fear.

The miracles that occurred in Silver Ring City had already spread far and wide, and people knew that the one who carried the coffin was a goddess. But people also knew that the true God had come here not to bestow mercy, but to punish the foolish.

So they just wanted to hear what the true God would say.

The wrath of God was concentrated in the air.

Those were dark clouds, vast and black. Normally, one could simply hurry to the eaves for shelter and then return home as quickly as possible. But now, it was as if the wrath of God had taken form, about to unleash the cold rain of early winter, tormenting everyone who turned to the true God.

At first, it was just a light drizzle that soaked people's clothes, but it was bearable.

But soon, thunder roared in the sky.

"I swear, I have never seen such terrifying thunder." An elderly man sighed inwardly, filled with awe.

This could only happen if thunder were directly overhead. The white thunderclouds intertwined with the surging dark clouds, blotting out the sun and plunging the world into darkness. A long, heavy downpour washed over the world.

The crowd didn't try to shield themselves from the rain; instead, they bowed their heads and endured it. Only parents holding their babies shielded their young children from the downpour, preventing them from harming their toddlers. They were too young to be the target of God's wrath... Yes, to everyone else, this unprecedented downpour was merely God's first test.

"I understand why you've gathered here." A vibrant voice suddenly rang out from above.

People looked up in surprise, only to find that the speaker was not the coffin bearer, but the guardian of the Blade of Chaos, the female knight who stood at the pinnacle of the nation. Her silver helmet was as white as snow, and she stood atop the high wall, but dared not be in the center.

"—The deity we worship has personally promised that he will meet with your piety before the end of today."

The crowd rejoiced, even forgetting that torrential rain was pounding on their bodies.

Then, B's slightly sorrowful voice delivered another piece of good news: "The true God has agreed that you can rely on your own efforts to stop this torrential rain. Even if it is divine wrath from heaven, you have the right to resist."

Upon hearing this, some parents were relieved, because shielding their children from the rain was not wrong.

Soon, the powerful mages, adventurers, and various clergy in the crowd began to play their respective roles, casting holy words, spells, and strange props in the sky to shield the weak and young from the wind and rain as much as possible.

Many more people chose to pray.

Time passed so slowly, yet the thunder and torrential rain never ceased. No one knew when the true God would be in the mood to look down upon these errant mortals; all they could do was wait.

……

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated true god himself was frantically preparing everything, thankfully Dandelion could lend a hand. The four hands worked hurriedly, managing to get everything they could think of sorted out within a few hours.

"Wait a minute—look, your shabby clothes are crooked, the collar is all crooked!"

"...It's my first time sewing something like this, so it's alright. I can just use magic to cut it."

"Sigh, thinking about it carefully, I didn't even realize it because I'm so familiar with Mori. You're not like a true god at all."

"It will look just like that in a moment."

Sen Shili was wearing the cotton-padded clothes he had come in, but he was now wearing a set of fine clothes over them.

This was a hastily sewn, magnificent holy robe, made from all the materials in her baggage. Naturally, it included the magical materials she had unearthed from chests of "Gravekeeper's Legacy" while repairing the Clockwork City. Of course, she also dismantled some old clothes to make up the total.

She almost made high-end clothes that were not up to her standards and that she couldn't wear.

The quality isn't guaranteed; it's just a showpiece. Plus, being a master craftswoman, she could produce it incredibly quickly. Therefore, this item lacks any divine aura or special effects; it's merely a robe with barely adequate defensive capabilities.

The garment is elegant and luxurious, matching the color scheme of the Holy Coffin Kingdom, primarily pure white and blue. Although it was hastily designed by Mori, the mindless piling up of decorations and patterns makes it look quite impressive, ten levels higher than what the Pope wears.

As she tidied her clothes, Dandelion helped comb her leaves and style her hair.

She wore the traditional hairstyle of the Four Seasons Hermit, adorned with a multitude of dazzling jewels. As for makeup, she didn't need it; Dandelion thought Mori was naturally very beautiful.

"Okay, the hairstyle is fine."

"Hmm... I'm nervous. I heard there are several million people here. It's unbelievable that they can hold so many people..."

“I’ve always heard that the Holy Land is magnificent, and it could easily accommodate twice as many people. Don’t be nervous… But have you thought about what to say to the people later? In any case, I think you can definitely handle it, after all, the true god is very majestic.”

Sen nodded, having already decided what to say.

It's mostly just blah blah blah, spouting condescending remarks about punishing everyone. Then, a specific punishment is imposed to reassure the anxious humans. Finally, the goal is to leave an incredibly positive impression for future interactions…

Everything here was nurtured by her wealth, so there's a deep sense of intimacy.

As for what to ask for, that's a problem. Gold coins have already been asked once, and treasure troves and such are too common and lack personal style. Fortunately, while making clothes, Mori had a flash of inspiration and came up with a good answer.

Preparations are complete.

"I went."